Monthly Archives: August 2010

The unlikely slugger continued the best power surge of his career Sunday night by hitting two home runs to lift the Somerset Patriots to a 5-2 victory against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in front of 5,899 at TD Bank Ballpark.

“I don’t know if I can put my finger on it,” a typically reserved Hopf said after his first multiple-home run performance in 271 career games. “Hitting coach Travis Anderson and I have been taking extra swings in the cage before games. I feel like I’ve been more consistent with the same swing as opposed to going up to the plate with different swings every time.”

Hopf, who went homer-less in his first 102 at-bats this season, has smashed five in 19 at-bats since Aug. 19 to match a career high set in 57 games between Single-A and Triple-A for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007.

The Patriots (27-24, 63-58) maintained a one-game lead atop the Freedom Division by prevailing for the eighth time in 10 games and taking the rubber game of the series from the Atlantic League’s winningest team.

“We’ve just got to keep winning,” said left fielder Noah Hall, whose two-run double in the first inning opened up a 3-0 lead. “We’ve gotten used to doing it now, so obviously anything else we’re not going to stand for.”

BRIDGEWATER — Inside the home clubhouse at TD Bank Ballpark, the Somerset Patriots can

Casey Cahill got this "Rise above" tattoo on his right shoulder after undergoing career-altering surgery in 2001. (Andrew Miller/MyCentralJersey.com)

share their most personal stories without saying a word.

As 25 men change into a uniformed baseball team, the ink tattooed to some of their arms, ribs and shoulders offers clues as to what inspires this collection of minor-league nomads.

“Most tattoos symbolize something,” relief pitcher Casey Cahill said. “Baseball is as tough to go through mentally as it is physically, so they’re a good way to remember something or to cope with something.”

Cahill’s right shoulder is marked with “Rise Above” written inside of a sun. It was a response to the first harsh dose of reality — shoulder surgery — of his professional career.

“I was 19,” said Cahill, who since has added two more tattoos, “and I was thinking, “No matter what — even on the cloudiest day — the sun still rises.’ “

Outfielder Michael Hernandez can understand that outlook.

The inscription on his left forearm reads “Palante,” which is Spanish for “moving forward.”

“Through any bump in the road I go through, I say to myself, “Keep moving forward,’ ” Hernandez said. “It’s huge in baseball. Every day you can use that. You might have the biggest slump ever, but keep moving forward.”

The Patriots already had hit three home runs when Josh Pressley stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning.

It was about to be four.

Pressley jumped on the first pitch from Craig Anderson and sent it over the left-center-field fence for a grand slam that helped the Patriots cruise to an 8-3 victory against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at TD Bank Ballpark.

Joe Burke homered in the first inning, while Noah Hall and J.R. Hopf hit back-to-back shots in the second.

The Blue Crabs got one run back in the top of the third before Pressley put the game out of reach.

Starting pitcher Jonathon Ellis (3-2) battled through five innings for the victory. He walked four and gave up four hits on 96 pitches.

Cahill, who was making his first appearance since allowing 10 runs in one inning Aug. 17, tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings and got a big out. He retired Travis Garc ia with a runner on second base and two outs in the seventh to protect a 7-3 lead.

BRIDGEWATER — A grin hit Michael Hernandez’s face just as he rounded first base and began a home run trot to cap his first at-bat back from injury.

Hernandez has given the Somerset Patriots plenty to smile about in the six days since his emphatic return from an eight-game absence (pulled quad).

Fresh off a two-home run game that included the decisive blast in extra innings, the right fielder batted third in the lineup Friday night against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at TD Bank Ballpark.

“He’s got a swing that accelerates through the ball,” Patriots manager Sparky Lyle said. “He’s got good power and he hits the ball to all fields.”

Hernandez, who has played sparingly during the second half, hit a game-winning 12th-inning home run Aug. 10 at the start of a six-game winning streak. Two days later, he was injured chasing a ball in the outfield and did not return until replacing ejected teammate Josh Pressley in the eighth inning Sunday.

He hit a three-run homer to the opposite field on his first swing.

“First, I’ve got to give credit to the trainers here for getting me back quick,” he said. “My approach is really just working hard and staying ready.”

Hernandez flew out as a pinch hitter Wednesday before hitting tie-breaking home runs in the fourth and 10th innings Thursday to fuel a 5-4 win against the Camden Riversharks. It was his first multi-homer game in exactly three years.

BRIDGEWATER — Two men, two very different backgrounds, one binding thread.

Joe Yuzuik is a Marine Corps sergeant who survived the TET offensive in the Vietnam War. Frosty Lawson is a professional singer who never served in the military.

Despite that difference, neither central participant in Veterans of America Day is able to fully control his emotions when discussing the significance of the event.

Yuzuik and Lawson hope to spread their message of gratitude to veterans and current military members who will be honored Sunday by the Somerset Patriots minor-league baseball team and Operation Jersey Cares in a pregame on-field ceremony at 4:15 p.m. at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.

“With all the wars that have come and gone and all the men and women out there who serve this country, I don’t think veterans are celebrated enough,” Patriots president and general manager Patrick McVerry said. “A day like this brings them all together and gives our fans and the community a chance to thank them for their service. That’s what the Patriots are all about — honoring the heroes in the community, which these people are.”

Michael Hernandez hit two more home runs Friday night, including his second extra-innings game-winner of the month, as the Patriots defeated the Camden Riversharks 5-4 in 10 innings at Campbell’s Field.

The slugger has four home runs in his last 12 at-bats dating back to a 12th-inning game-winner Aug. 10 at the York Revolution. He did not play from Aug. 13-21 because of a pulled quad but homered Sunday in his first at-bat back.

Hernandez also led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to break a scoreless tie and start a four-run outburst.

Noah Hall added two-run homer and Wayne Lydon delivered a two-out RBI single. Lydon’s single scored Joe Holden, who came off the bench to run after Elliott Ayala was hit by a pitch.

It was not clear where Ayala was struck, though he appeared to be bleeding from the face before being removed.

The Riversharks answered with three runs in the fifth.

With two runs home and two outs, Brian Burgamy extended the rally with a RBI single before Raul Padron struck out and stranded the potential tying run at third base.

Padron was the final batter faced by starter Jason Monti, who struck out six but surrendered four hits and three walks.

The Patriots were four outs away from victory when deja vu hit for reliever Jeff Kennard.

Kennard, who yielded the game-winning two-out hit into the right-field corner in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s loss, gave up a game-tying two-out RBI triple into the right-field corner to Juan Francia.

Jerry Dunn (3-2) tossed a scoreless ninth for the win, which was saved by Scott Williamson. Ryan McKeller (4-6) was on the wrong end of Hernandez’s second homer.

The Patriots went 3-1 in the series, which featured four games decided by a total of five runs.

Noah Hall is second on the Patriots with 24 stolen bases despite being the team's oldest position player. (MyCentralJersey.com file photo)

At an age when most baseball players are scrambling to preserve their tired legs, the 33-year-old outfielder is experiencing a renaissance on the base paths for the Somerset Patriots.

“I’m playing every day again,” Hall said. “Maybe I never lost them like I thought I did.”

The 15-year minor-league veteran entered Thursday night’s game against the Camden Riversharks at Campbell’s Field in pursuit of his 300th career stolen base and sixth 30-steal season. It could be the first time he reaches that plateau in six years.

“When the season started, I didn’t know how my legs were going to be,” said Hall, whose 24 steals are five more than he had in the past three seasons combined. “I said, “I guess I’m going to try it and see where they’re at.’ Maybe some of the time off the last three or four years has helped.”

Speed once was one of Hall’s top tools.

The corner outfielder swiped 100 bases from 1998-2000, a career high 37 in 2001 and 33 in 2003 as he made the climb toward Triple-A.

If not for Jason Belcher, one of the shortest games of the Atlantic League season might not have ended.

Jason Belcher smacked a pair of solo home runs for the Patriots’ only hits in a 2-0 victory against the Camden Riversharks at Campbell’s Field.

Starting pitchers Josh Miller and Derell McCall met up in a true duel.

Neither team mustered a hit through three innings and McCall’s no-hit bid remained in tact until Belcher homered to right field with two outs in the fifth. He added a one-out homer to right off McCall in the eighth.

McCall walked four and struck out two in 7 1/3 innings.

Miller (11-8) struck out six and scattered three hits in eight innings. He faced only three batters over the minimum.

Closer Scott Williamson saved Miller’s victory.

After issuing a two-out walk, he induced a game-ending flyout from Chris Malec.

CAMDEN — The third inning of Josh Miller’s last start breezed by just like so many others.

Ten pitches. Three up. Three down.

Efficient and effective.

Spectacular only in that it marked a new single-season career high in innings pitched, while illustrating just how much is left in the tank of the 10-year veteran.

“I’ve always prided myself on going deep into games, giving the bullpen a break and giving my team a chance to win,” Miller said. “Having a lot of innings reflects that.”

Miller, who has surpassed 150 innings for just the second time, added to the total Wednesday night when he started for the Somerset Patriots against the Camden Riversharks at Campbell’s Field.

Sounds like the recipe for burnout, right?

“Not at all,” said Miller, whose previous career high was 152 innings at Double-A for the Houston Astros in 2006. “I’m kind of smart. I know when to skip a bullpen between a start or to go in for extra treatment and care. I don’t think I’m at that point.”